Falling Headfirst
by Delia Blue
Summary: After an indiscretion at school, Damon is forced to join student council and pair up with smart but shy Elena. The last thing he ever expected was to fall in love with her but life is full of surprises. AU, Human, DE
1. Chapter 1

AN: This story came to me one day and for weeks now, I would write bits and pieces in my spare time. I have a loose outline and I've already written the next chapter so I figured I'd just go ahead and post it. It's an AU story, my first time doing something like this with TVD so bear with me. Here we go…

* * *

"_Put your lips close to mine_

_As long as they don't touch_

_Out of focus, eye to eye_

_Till the gravity's too much_

_And I'll do anything you say_

_If you say it with your hands_

_And I'd be smart to walk away_

_But you're quicksand_

_This slope is treacherous_

_This path is reckless"_

_Treacherous – Taylor Swift_

* * *

Damon Salvatore stared out the window next to him without really seeing what was going on outside. All he could think about was that there was only one more hour left, then he had practice, and then he had to pick up his sister from her piano lesson, get home, get dinner started, clean up, and make sure his sister did her homework. Then he still had to do his own work to do. Damon sighed, shifting restlessly in his seat. He hated Wednesdays with a passion; it was when everything collided in his life and he knew he would be lucky if he got to bed before one.

"Am I boring you Mr. Salvatore?" Ms. Evans asked, her voice full of disapproval.

Damon snapped out of it, turning to face his teacher. She had one eyebrow raised as she stared at him expectantly. He flashed her a bright smile before answering, "Not at all."

Ms. Evans shook her head but didn't reprimand him any further. She gave him a pointed look before launching back into her lesson on _To Kill a Mockingbird_. He actually liked the book so far and under normal circumstances, he would be listening but he just wasn't in the mood today. On top of everything else, Coach had informed him that there would be a scout at the next game and he knew that it was really important that he played well on Friday. Damon tapped his pencil against his desk absently, running through the latest plays in his head.

"Psst. Damon!" Someone whispered and then there was a piece of paper by his foot.

Damon casually bent down, pretending to tie his shoe as he picked up the note. He immediately recognized the loopy handwriting and smirked.

_Damon,_

_Be my date to Ty's party? Then after we can have our own private party at my place ;)_

_Xoxo,_

_Kat_

Damon turned around and saw Katherine Pierce looking at him coyly with her patented half smile. She wasn't his girlfriend but she was definitely his girl. She was kind of a bitch and he knew that he could be a dick so they fought constantly. That didn't stop them from hooking up though and the rest of the team knew better than to mess with her.

Damon shrugged, mouthing silently an affirmative answer. Katherine's smile bloomed and not for the first time, he couldn't help but notice how beautiful she was. Long dark hair that fell in loose curls, brown eyes that always held a hint of mischief, the pure seductiveness she managed to ooze in every gesture. He was suddenly very eager for their "private party" on Friday night and judging by the way she pursed her full glossed lips to a blow him a kiss, she couldn't wait either.

He felt a kick on his left side and he immediately glared at Matt. Matt subtly nodded his head to where Mrs. Evans was obviously waiting on him to answer a question. Shit, he'd totally tuned her out.

"Sorry ma'am, can you repeat that?" Damon asked charmingly.

"If you were listening instead of looking back at Ms. Pierce, I wouldn't have to repeat myself." Mrs. Evans said frostily.

Behind him, he heard Katherine let out a low giggle of amusement. Obviously Mrs. Evans heard her too because she said "And don't think you're not next Ms. Pierce."

"I asked you what happened on Scout's first day of school to ruin her enthusiasm."

Damon actually knew this one, he'd read the entire assigned reading last night, but his thoughts were so stuck on Katherine that it just wasn't popping into his mind like he wanted it to. Mrs. Evans could see the hesitation on his face and shook her head in exasperation.

"I can answer that Mrs. Evans." Katherine piped up before flawlessly launching into a description that even Mrs. Evans couldn't find fault with.

Mrs. Evans didn't call on him again, thank goodness, and the rest of class flew by quickly. Damon scrawled down the homework from the board, pretending like he couldn't hear Mrs. Evans calling for him to stay after. Katherine was waiting for him outside the classroom and she immediately looped her arm through his.

"I have to go to class but I'll see you at practice." Damon said, kissing her quickly.

"Let's go up to the roof. Who cares about last period?" Katherine murmured, pulling back with a pout on her face.

Damon hesitated, knowing that he probably should go to class. He'd already skipped way too many times with Katherine considering it was only September and it was last period was only 45 minutes. But it was Katherine staring up at him with those brown eyes of hers that had a tendency of getting him to do things that he shouldn't.

Just like they both knew he would, he caved. "Lead the way." Damon smirked.

Damon took her hand and they weaved their way through the crowded hallway filled with students heading to their last class. Damon led Katherine into the stairwell they'd discovered their junior year that connected to the roof. They climbed up the two sets of stairs, quiet save for Katherine's giggles, before making a left and faced a silver door that was marked 'Keep Out". They ignored it, pushing open the door and walking out onto the gravel covered roof.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Katherine was on him. They kissed fiercely, their lips moving together in a well-established rhythm, barely needing to take a breath. He pulled her closer and moaned lowly at the feel of her body against his. He felt her hands slip under his shirt and roam around his stomach as he molded her against him.

"You're wearing too many clothes." Katherine panted against his lips, tugging at his belt.

Damon allowed her to start unbuttoning his pants and separated from her long enough to tug her shirt over her head and toss it to the ground. Her curls tumbled down around her face and down the creamy skin of her back and for a second, Damon couldn't help but just look at her. There she was in front of him, breathing hard and flushed just for him.

Katherine tugged him forward impatiently, her mouth searching out his. Just as she was about to pull down his zipper, Damon paused, listening carefully.

"Did you hear that?" Damon whispered.

"It's nothing, stop being so paranoid," Katherine said, eagerly closing the gap between them.

Damon tried to move away again because he was sure that he really had heard something. Katherine distracted him by playfully biting his lower lip as she kissed him, something she knew drove him crazy. With a rumbling growl, he pulled her closer, his hands resting on her ass.

"Well, well, what do we have here?"

Damon cursed as he spun around to face the intruder. It was one of the janitors that everyone had nicknamed Janitor Joe. He wasn't even sure that the man's name really was Joe but that was what he was known as to the students. Damon suspected that Janitor Joe desperately wanted to be a higher authority than just a janitor judging by the way he always seemed to try and police them. Katherine shrieked as she realized they'd been caught, crouching down to pick up her shirt from where he'd tossed it on the ground. Damon did his best to shield her as he discreetly tried to button his pants.

"Do you mind?" Damon demanded, outraged and embarrassed that Janitor Joe hadn't even turned around to allow them a chance to get themselves together.

"Not at all. Principal Hawthorne will be so thrilled to have you back in his office Damon; I can assure you of that." Janitor Joe said dryly, a smirk plastered on his face.

Damon scowled fiercely at the man, rage coursing through his veins. He opened his mouth to respond but shut it, thinking better of it as the janitor's words sunk in. This was not going to be good. He had a bit of a rocky relationship with the principal. Damon tended to get a lot of slack because of his position as the quarterback, something Damon had taken full advantage of during his years at Mystic Falls High. The principal had warned him last year after an incident that involved a duck and a food fight that any further wrongdoings would result in severe disciplinary action. This didn't exactly scare Damon but he figured that it was about time he clean up his act anyway. It was his senior year and he'd been trying to do better. That was pretty much shot to hell now though.

"Can you let us get dressed?" Katherine practically whimpered.

Damon glanced back at her and was surprised to see the normally unflappable Katherine Pierce looking vaguely panicked. Her hair was mussed, a sheen of tears in her eyes, and she held her shirt up in an effort to cover herself. He felt a rush of protectiveness and turned back to the janitor.

"Please?" Damon said, meeting the man's eyes.

"I'll give you two a minute to collect yourselves." Janitor Joe allowed, backing out through the door.

As soon as they were alone, they sprang into action. Katherine put on her shirt and smoothed down the wrinkles in her skirt as Damon buckled his pants.

"This is going to suck." Damon grumbled under his breath.

"What's the worst that can happen?" Katherine said, finger combing her brown curls back into place.

Damon chuckled darkly. Katherine didn't know Mr. Hawthorne like he did. There was no possible way this could end well for him. Damon opened his mouth to reply when there was a loud banging on the door.

"Hurry up!" Janitor Joe commanded, his voice muffled through the thick door.

"Well, time to face the music. You ready?" Damon looked at Katherine.

"As ready as I'll ever be I guess." Katherine shrugged, slipping her hand in his and squeezing it once in reassurance before letting go.

With that, they opened the door and headed to see what awaited them.

* * *

Damon shifted in his seat, waiting to be seen by the principal. Katherine had been whisked away by the assistant principal for "a quick chat" so he was all alone. He studiously avoided the eyes of the secretary, focusing instead on the pictures on the wall. Just when he felt like he couldn't take it anymore, the door opened.

"Thanks again Mr. Hawthorne," A familiar female voice said.

Damon looked up and frowned slightly. It was Elena Gilbert, of course her voice was familiar. Elena was the school's resident genius, in all AP and honors classes and that wasn't including the fact that she was a year younger because she'd started kindergarten early. She was actually teaching their math class right now. Damon knew for a fact that she was taking the Probability and Statistics course as an elective while he was taking it just because it sounded easier than Pre-Calculus. The teacher, Mr. Rousseau, had a strong French accent that made it difficult to understand him so after two straight weeks of frustration on everyone's part, he'd basically turned it over to Elena. Elena read the lesson plans and taught the class the concepts. She wasn't a bad teacher either; for the first time, Damon felt like he understood math. He saw her around a lot actually; in addition to seeing her at regular school, she went to the same music school as his sister. They ran in completely different circles though so it's not like they were friends or anything.

"No problem Elena. I'll have your recommendation letter ready by the end of the week." Mr. Hawthorne said in a tone that Damon had never once heard the man use when talking to him, smiling down at Elena.

Elena clammed up when she saw Damon, something that he didn't understand. As far as he knew, he'd never done anything bad to her and yet every time they crossed paths, she avoided him completely. Frankly, he was surprised that she even talked in class with him in there. He didn't have time to contemplate the weird situation for long because Mr. Hawthorne's eyes landed on him.

"You, my office, now." Mr. Hawthorne said, every trace of warmth that had just been there when he was talking to Elena gone.

Damon sighed as he stood up and shuffled into the office, not glancing Elena's way at all. He sat down in the chair he was quite familiar with as the principal got comfortable in his chair. Mr. Hawthorne stared at him hard, surveying him with a hint of exhaustion. Damon met his look defiantly, unwilling to back down.

"I was going to suspend you but I realized that wouldn't solve anything, would it? You'd be right back doing the next boneheaded thing as soon as you got back." Mr. Hawthorne said finally, breaking the silence in the room.

Damon felt relief wash over him. He wasn't going to be suspended. It wouldn't go on his record and ruin everything he'd worked for. Thank god. He sent up a silent but fervent prayer of thanks, starting to relax in his seat.

"Don't get too comfortable yet Damon. I said you weren't suspended, not that there's no punishment. First off, I'm calling your father."

Damon groaned, running a hand over his face. He pretty much knew this was coming but it definitely sucked. He and his father had their issues and he could only imagine his dad's response to this latest transgression. His father really didn't like Katherine anyway and had said as much on many occasions.

"Also, for the remainder of the year, you'll be helping out with student council. That means that you attend all meetings, help out with school functions, and do what they ask. In addition, you must do 30 hours of community service." Mr. Hawthorne ticked off each part of Damon's punishment on his fingers and Damon felt his heart sink with every word.

"Are you serious?" Damon's jaw dropped as he began to realize exactly how this would impact him. This was so much more than just detention or even community service. It was only September and he had to join student council for the rest of the _year_? Plus 30 hours of community service? He almost found himself wishing for a suspension.

"I think you need to befriend new people, specifically other students who won't just go along with whatever you want to do. I've noticed that you've been doing well lately so I know you have it in you. Damon, you have an opportunity to do better here. I advise that you take advantage of it." Mr. Hawthorne said, looking at him seriously.

Damon nodded quickly, too frustrated to speak.

"I mean it Damon, put forth some actual effort. You might actually surprise yourself." Mr. Hawthorne continued.

"Yes sir." Damon said, shifting in his seat. He was beyond ready to go now. Hawthorne hadn't banned him from practice so hopefully he could get there early and talk to his coach and find a way to get out of this. Ric was good with that sort of thing.

"You can go now." Mr. Hawthorne sighed, sensing that he wasn't going to get any further today.

Damon shot up immediately, glancing at the clock. There was only five minutes left before school was over so that gave him just enough time to go get his stuff and try to talk to Ric before practice.

"I understand Mr. Hawthorne." Damon said, pausing in the doorway. He did understand but that didn't mean that he actually liked it.

Mr. Hawthorne just waved him off and Damon left. He exited the office and caught sight of Katherine down the hallway.

"Katherine, wait," Damon called.

Katherine stopped and turned at the sound of his voice, waiting for him. Damon jogged to catch up and she motioned for him to follow her to her locker.

"So, what did you get?" Damon asked, looking down at her.

"Oh, I just cried and begged him not to tell my parents. He let me off with a warning after lecturing me about the importance of a lady's reputation." Katherine shrugged, plucking a speck of lint from her shirt.

"A warning?" Damon gaped at her, his jaw slack with shock.

"Yeah, why? What did you get?" Katherine asked.

"Unbelievable." Damon muttered darkly, throwing a scowl back in the direction of the office.

"What happened Damon?" Katherine pressed him for details, laying a hand on his shoulder to bring his attention back to her.

"I'm student council's bitch for the rest of the year plus I have 30 hours of community service." Damon said bitterly.

If he was looking for sympathy, he wasn't going to find it with Katherine. She laughed throatily, covering her mouth with her hand but the amusement was still evident in her dark eyes. Damon glared at her hotly, not in the mood for her usual antics.

"Sorry." Katherine giggled the most insincere apology he'd ever heard.

"I have to go." Damon said, fighting to keep himself under control and not blow up at her right then and there.

Instead he did what he should have done in the first place: he walked away, leaving Katherine behind.

* * *

AN: This chapter had a lot of Katherine and very little Elena but I promise that will change. The next chapter is all from Elena's POV actually and I should have it up soon. Thanks for giving it a shot and please let me know what you guys think!


	2. Maybe in Another Life

AN: Wow, thanks so much for all the support so far. I'm blown away; it means a lot to me! Here's the next chapter, and as promised, it's all Elena. Without further ado, here's the next chapter.

* * *

"_I'm staring at him_

_But I forget to pick my face up off the floor_

_We're in a crowd, but it feels like we're alone_

_Oh my god he just looked at me_

_And I just wanna tell him something that he's never heard_

_But my lips won't let me tell him, tell him_

_I would say this_

_But maybe, maybe in another life_

_I could be the girl who walks up to the guy_

_And tells him, tells him how she feels inside_

_But, not tonight, no not tonight"_

_Not Tonight - Elle Varner_

* * *

"See you later Bonnie," Elena Gilbert said, waving to her best friend.

"Bye Elena! I'll call you later," Bonnie grinned at her.

It was Friday and most of Mystic Falls High School population was fighting to get out the door. Slammed lockers, frenzied goodbyes, papers strewn across the floor all surrounded Elena as she patiently made her way to her locker. She wasn't rushing home so she just kind of moved with the crowd. She'd learned her lesson sophomore year when a burly linebacker managed to knock her to the ground in his hurry. That was one of the most humiliating moments in her life and she had several.

When she finally got to her locker, she put all her books in there neatly before grabbing the red binder she used for student council. The crowd had died down by this point so she made her way to the classroom that they met in twice a week. Almost everyone was there already so she just took her normal seat and waited quietly. She opened her binder and started to look over her notes.

She ran her tongue over the smooth plastic of her retainer as she read, still not used to the absence of braces. She'd had them on for over two years, correcting an overbite and overlapping teeth. Her orthodontist had said she had an abnormally small jaw so they expanded her jaw first and then let the braces do their work. He said she'd just escaped headgear, something she was beyond grateful for because if school was bad now, she could only imagine what it would have been like if she'd been forced to wear headgear.

Elena noticed that the room suddenly went kind of quiet and she looked up curiously. Her eyes went wide as Damon walked into the council meeting. Well, to be honest, he slunk in, but all the same, it was Damon Salvatore that entered the room. He was the last person she ever expected to see there. She couldn't help but wonder if his appearance had anything to do with why she saw him outside of Mr. Hawthorne's office that day. Elena had been there to get a recommendation letter for one of her early admission applications when she saw Damon. She knew that it wasn't particularly uncommon for Damon to be in the principal's office but any unexpected run-in with Damon tended to throw her for a loop. She was used to seeing him in class and in the hallways but it'd surprised her to see him then. Rationally, she figured that seeing him get in trouble that day and him showing up to the council meeting had to be related in some capacity. Elena had been a member of the council since her freshman year and not once had she seen Damon display any sort of interest in participating.

Student council was pretty much a thankless job. They planned every school function beginning with the back to school pep rally all the way to prom and still, all anyone ever cared about at Mystic Falls High was the football team and the cheerleading squad. For the most part, Elena didn't mind. She was used to being invisible except when someone needed help with a paper or studying for a test. Then suddenly everyone knew who she was. Everyone except Damon anyway.

She found Damon very interesting. He seemed smart enough, just lazy when it came to schoolwork. That was normal she guessed; a lot of her classmates seemed to be the same way, her brother included. There was just something about Damon though that intrigued her. She knew that he had a younger brother and sister, Stefan and Ariana. Stefan was in the grade below them and Ariana was around twelve or thirteen. She knew Ariana from the music school. By all accounts, Ariana was a gifted pianist, something that Elena could appreciate as a pianist herself. Damon didn't play any instruments but she saw him at the music school frequently. From what she could gather, he picked up Ariana from most of her practices plus Damon attended every single one of Ariana's recitals and she could tell he just adored her. Maybe that's why she had trouble reconciling the Damon that presented his little sister with a bouquet of roses after recitals and swung her around proudly with the Damon at school, the cocky quarterback who had slept with most of the cheerleaders and had a knack for getting into trouble.

He was extraordinarily handsome and he knew it. Jet black hair, startlingly clear blue eyes, a devastating smile that showcased his high cheekbones…he certainly was easy on the eyes and even Elena wasn't immune to his charms. He was her secret fascination, the crush that not even Bonnie knew about. Having him here at the council meeting, intruding on her world, made her feel exposed suddenly and she found herself avoiding looking in his direction as if everyone could tell her secret. Of course he sat right across from her so it was basically impossible for her to do anything but look right at him. He looked bored and vaguely irritated with a scowl on his face and she still couldn't help but find him gorgeous. God, he made her turn into one of those shallow girls that she and Bonnie always tried so hard not to be.

"How nice of you to join us Damon." Caroline Forbes said snarkily with a flip of her blond hair. Caroline unequivocally ran the school. Student council president, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Ms. Mystic Falls, Caroline did it all. Everyone knew her and it was easier to fall in line with her wishes than argue because Caroline always got her way in the end.

Damon's scowl deepened and he slouched further in his chair. He didn't bother to reply. It was obvious that he didn't want to be there and Elena couldn't help but wonder what he was doing at their meeting.

"Elena, would you read the minutes from last week's meeting to catch up certain new members, even if they couldn't bother being on time?" Caroline requested, turning her intense gaze on Elena.

"I was five minutes late, Caroline!" Damon couldn't contain it any longer.

Caroline ignored him. "Elena?"

Elena stood slowly, picking up the sheet she typed last night, feeling put on the spot. As secretary, she was responsible for taking notes at each meeting and keeping the records straight. Rarely was she required to actually read the minutes aloud because everyone already knew what was going on but with Damon here, Caroline was obviously determined to show off. Elena had no idea why but Caroline and Damon didn't get along. She figured it had something to do with Katherine; most things did at Mystic Falls.

"Um, okay." Elena said, shifting nervously as she adjusted her glasses. Elena proceeded to talk about the upcoming car wash and how the planning for the winter dance was going, all without once looking at Damon. As soon as she finished, she sat back down and turned to Caroline expectantly.

Sure enough, Caroline launched into action, moving on to prodding the treasurer to speak about how their fundraising efforts were going. Elena snuck a peek at Damon and found that he'd slouched even further down and was now doodling on the corner of the paper in front of him. She found herself curious as to what he was drawing. If she craned her neck to the left, she might be able to see…

"Is that okay with you Elena?" Caroline's high voice broke her out of the little trance and she felt her cheeks flush pink. She hated how she couldn't control her blushing.

"Of course." Elena said with a forced smile even though she had absolutely no idea what Caroline had just said.

"Good. You can work with Damon on that while Jesse and I get the decorations." Caroline said definitively.

Damon's head snapped up at the sound of his name, his pen stopping mid scribble. "What am I doing?" Damon asked, his tone already on the defensive side.

Caroline sighed and shook her head pityingly. "You're hopeless." She said, rolling her blue eyes.

"I don't want to be here anymore than you want me to be here. If it was up to me, I'd be doing just about anything else right now but like it or not, I'm here Caroline. Now what is it you want me to do?" Damon snapped.

Caroline was unmoved. She ignored him and went back to assigning duties. Damon turned to his neighbor who apparently filled him in judging by the short exchange that took place. Damon merely shrugged and flashed the girl a brief smile. He then looked at Elena and Elena felt like she was on fire.

"What did she say?" Elena whispered to Anna, the short girl on her right.

"You and Damon are in charge of getting the supplies and coming up with a poster for the car wash." Anna replied, making sure that Caroline didn't see her.

Oh great. Not only was she doing errands, she was doing them with Damon. Judging by his sour expression, Elena was going to be in for a fun time. Caroline finished bossing everyone around and they ended the meeting early. Their meetings on Fridays usually ended ahead of schedule because everyone wanted to get out of there. Half the time Elena wondered why they even bothered with Friday meetings but it wasn't her decision. Elena started to pack up her things when she heard Damon clear his throat.

"So, I guess we're working together." Damon said, looking at her with those eyes that made her knees literally weak.

"I…I guess so." Elena replied, immediately wishing she didn't sound so lame. For some reason, it felt like her brain had temporarily flipped a switch because stuttering over "I guess so" was the best response she could come up with. This is why she always avoided him because she knew that her brain would turn to mush. She had no reason to be nervous around him, you know, aside from the fact that he was Damon Salvatore, that he was so ridiculously good looking that it made her brain forget how to actually hold a conversation, that they would be working together even though he'd made it clear that it was the last thing he wanted to do. Actually, she figured she did have good enough reason but she really wished she could just get it together.

Damon looked at her appraisingly, tilting his head to the side as he stared at her for a moment. She fidgeted under his gaze, fighting the urge to run. Then he smirked a little and leaned forward.

"I'll see you around then Elena." Damon said, slinging his backpack on one shoulder before heading out.

Elena stood there, frozen and unsure how to respond. It wasn't until Anna accidentally knocked into her as she stood up that Elena even managed to move.

"Sorry," Anna said as she bent down to pick up the papers she's dropped in the scuffle.

"It's okay," Elena said distractedly.

Anna started to say something else but Elena completely tuned her out. All she could hear was the way that her name had sounded in Damon's smooth, honeyed voice as he said he'd see her around. She liked it way too much and she knew that she was in trouble.

* * *

AN: I hope you all enjoyed a little peek into Elena's head. I just wanted to say again how much I appreciate every single review. I'll try and update again soon so until then :)


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks so much for all the reviews. I'm not gonna lie, it really does put a smile on my face to see that you all are enjoying it. This chapter gave me a bit of trouble because it was supposed to be just Damon's POV but I kind of felt like Elena's perspective needed to be there as well so there's a bit of both in this chapter.

* * *

"_She's the girl that no one ever knows_

_I say hi but she's too shy to say hello_

_She's just waiting for that one_

_To take her hand and shake her up_

_I bet I could"_

_Say You Like Me – We the Kings_

* * *

Elena sighed happily as she stepped foot in the music school she'd been going to since she was four. It was like her home away from home and she felt so relaxed here. Her mother had put her in lessons because she thought it was a good skill for young ladies to have and Elena had taken to it immediately. It was a good creative outlet for her because she tended to keep things bottled up. There was something about music that allowed her to pour her emotions out in a way that she could easily share. She wrote in her journal as well but that was private; no one was ever allowed to touch her journal.

She didn't have an official lesson today, just a consultation with one of her teachers so after a quick hello to the receptionist, Elena headed for one of the piano rooms to wait. They had a recital coming up that everyone was excited about. The music school did four recitals a year and the fall one was always a favorite. The students were given a bit more freedom in their song choice which led to some interesting performances. This year, Elena had been given permission to do an original song and she was a little nervous about it actually. She'd always dabbled in composing her own music but she'd never shared them with anyone outside her family and close friends before. It was nerve wracking but it was something that she wanted to do.

Elena knew that at least part of the reason that she was so nervous was because she knew that Damon would be there. Damon had never missed a single one of Ariana's performances as far as she knew and there was no reason to believe that he wouldn't be there for this one.

The song she was working on was intensely personal and yet she felt like it was the best piece she'd ever done. She had come up with the melody after she'd had to say good-bye because her dad was getting ready to leave for another trip. Her dad was a well-known doctor and he was constantly heading off to speak at a conference somewhere or to help with some research project. Out of everyone in her family, Elena felt that her father understood her best and she always missed him greatly when he was away.

Her mother had never quite known what to do with her brilliant daughter and over the years it had placed a strain on their relationship. To Elena, it seemed like her mother always focused on what Elena was not instead of appreciating the daughter that she actually had. Her mom had been pretty and popular back in high school, a debutante and Miss Mystic Falls. In fact, she was pretty sure that her mother had been a lot like Caroline when she had been a student at Mystic Falls High. That was so far from Elena that it wasn't funny and she knew that her mother had dreamed of having a daughter to share all that with. She'd always suspected it but Elena knew for sure after overhearing a conversation her mother had on the phone where Miranda said that she couldn't believe that her own daughter was so uninterested in the things that had mattered to her at that age. Elena had been deeply hurt by that little comment but she'd never said a word to her mother about it. Her dad on the other hand embraced Elena's gifts and had been the one to encourage her. He taught her Latin starting at a young age, took her to museums and galleries, and was ridiculously patient with her endless questions. He was always someone she could turn to and she was grateful beyond measure to have a dad like him.

Feeling slightly melancholy, Elena deliberately shook off her little trip down memory lane. Sitting at the piano, she pulled off the cover and ran her fingers over the ivory keys once. She loved the feeling of the keys, knowing that with just a press of her fingers that she had the ability to make music.

Elena checked her phone and saw that she was earlier than she thought. She still had about fifteen minutes until her teacher would be ready for her. Her teacher's office was just across the hall and she never minded if Elena took over an empty room while she waited. Elena pulled out her folder that had her music sheets and took out her original composition that was untitled at the moment. She was still working out a few kinks but she was confident that she'd have it done in time for the recital in November. Seeing no point in wasting time in front of the piano, Elena took a deep breath and started to play.

* * *

Damon pulled into the parking lot for Mystic Falls Music and Art Center and parked directly in front of the school. He was waiting to pick up his sister from her piano lesson but she wasn't out yet so he turned the engine off but left the car on so he could listen to music still. He was about to change the song when Damon heard his phone indicate that he'd gotten a text message. He glanced down to look at the screen and scowled when he saw it was from Katherine. They hadn't really talked since that day. At first, Katherine had given him his space but after being ignored for days, Katherine had taken to making sure he couldn't ignore her presence. Between her constant calls, texts, and attempts to talk at school, Damon was even more irritated. He'd told her to back off but Katherine Pierce was nothing if not persistent about what she wanted. Damon ignored the text notification and turned up the music in his car.

He was surprised that he still had his car frankly. To say his dad had been furious with him was an understatement. After yelling at him for what seemed like hours, Giuseppe had stormed into his office for the rest of the night, and they hadn't talked properly since then. Damon was fine with the silent treatment; it's not like he and his dad were close or anything. There had been a time when things were different, back before his mom died. His mom had been the best, so warm and kind and loving. There wasn't a person who met Sofia Salvatore that didn't love her. Damon remembered how she used to sing in the kitchen as she made dinner, the way she made up silly bedtime stories, how _alive _the house had been with her in it. Then she'd gotten sick and slowly all the brightness and light had faded from the Salvatore house. His mom had died when he was nine and his dad had been devastated, they all had been. Suddenly, Giuseppe was left with 3 grieving children ranging in age from nine to four and he didn't know how to cope so he'd withdrawn. Damon resented the hell out of him for it but he didn't really blame him anymore.

A car alarm started blaring next to him, dragging him from his thoughts. Damon sighed and shook his head, willing himself not to think about it. He glanced at the clock and noticed that his sister should have been done already. It was rare that Ariana's lessons ran late and his sister was pretty good about coming right out. After waiting another few minutes with no sign of Ariana, Damon turned off the car and headed into the music school.

Damon found something very calming about the way that the place was decorated and set up. The walls were painted a soft blue that reminded him of the seashore and there were music notes, artwork done by students, and pictures of various events from the school all along the walls.

He walked up to the receptionist's desk, smiling at the woman behind the counter. Abby had been working here for as long as he could remember and he'd always liked her. "Hello Damon, how are you?" Abby beamed at him, moving a stack of papers out of the way.

"I'm good, just waiting for Ariana." Damon explained.

"I think she's talking with her teacher about the upcoming recital. You can head back there if you'd like. She's in room 1E." Abby replied, gesturing down the hall.

"Ok, thanks Abby." Damon said with a quick wave, heading down the hallway.

Of course that would be one of the furthest classrooms. He walked leisurely, listening to the faint sounds of music emanating from the different rooms when he heard something that struck him. Louder than the rest of the sounds, he heard a piano piece being played, the melody wistful and sad yet hauntingly beautiful. Intrigued, Damon followed the music and ended up outside a room with a partially open door. He just listened with his eyes closed for a moment before looking through the glass window to see who was playing. To his surprise, it was Elena.

He couldn't help but watch her. She was utterly engrossed in playing so she didn't see him. He knew she was good but this was remarkable. The first time he'd ever really paid attention to Elena Gilbert had been at a piano recital two years ago. It was some kind of showcase that he'd gone to for Ariana. To be honest, the whole piano thing wasn't exactly his kind of music but he put on a bright face for his sister. He'd been pretty bored when Elena's turn came around. Then she started playing and it was like magic. Next to him, his father had straightened in his seat, his eyes focused on the stage. She was playing Endless Love, one of his mother's favorite songs. His mom had loved all kinds of music. She would play old records on Saturdays and make it like a concert in their living room for them. After she died, his dad had packed up all the records and Damon hadn't seen them since.

Damon had watched her with fascination as she flawlessly moved through the song. When she finished, she stood to take a bow to a resounding applause with a shy smile on her face. He still remembered exactly how she looked that night. She'd worn a simple white dress that ended just above her knees, contrasting with her olive colored skin perfectly. She'd had her hair out too, glossy and long, instead of in her usual ponytail. Elena had looked different to him that night and he remembered thinking there was something rather special about her in that moment.

Damon took a step into the room and the door squeaked slightly.

At the sound of the door, Elena immediately stopped playing, turning around to see who was there. Realizing that it was him, Elena's cheeks flushed pink and her brown eyes went wide.

"Don't stop because of me. You sounded really good." Damon said, feeling a little bad that he'd clearly startled her. He knew that he had probably intruded on her private practice but he couldn't seem to help himself.

"Thank you," Elena quietly replied, her blush deepening. Elena didn't say anything more and a silence fell over the room.

"So, what was it that you were playing?" Damon asked curiously.

"Oh that? It's just a piece that I've been composing. It's not quite finished though." Elena answered, turning back to the piano to collect her papers.

Damon stared at her incredulously. She'd created _that _and acted like it was no big deal? He was far from a stranger to musical talents considering his sister was considered to be a gifted piano player but he still couldn't help but be impressed.

"Wow, that's amazing." Damon fervently said.

"It's nothing." Elena said, not meeting his eyes, instead concentrating on packing up her stuff.

"I may not know much about piano but that is definitely not 'nothing' Elena." Damon shook his head.

"No, really, it's not a big deal." Elena murmured insistently.

Damon sensed that she wasn't comfortable with compliments judging by the way she seemed to downplay his praise. He had no such issues so he couldn't exactly relate. He wasn't heartless though so he gave her an out by changing the subject to something more neutral.

"I was wondering, what exactly do we have to do for the car wash stuff?" Damon asked rather abruptly, stepping closer to her.

"We?" Elena scrunched her nose up in confusion, something that Damon couldn't help but find kind of adorable. He felt a smile tug at his lips. He wasn't used to seeing Elena Gilbert appearing so confused.

"We are working together, aren't we?" Damon said, teasing her a bit.

Surprise and then relief flitted across her face, by what exactly he wasn't sure. He knew that she probably didn't expect him to really help but he was planning on doing his part. The last thing he needed was Caroline reporting to Mr. Hawthorne that he wasn't doing anything. Caroline would just love the chance to screw him over. Honestly, looking back, he probably deserved her hatred. He wasn't proud of what he'd done to her and it was something that he didn't like to think about. He brushed it aside and focused back on the conversation at hand.

"Caroline wants us to get the supplies. Most of it has been donated so basically we have to go around to the stores and pick it up. She said she wants us to do a poster as well but knowing Caroline, she just wants us to come up with a template that she can tweak to her liking. We're not the only ones doing posters so I'm assuming she's going to pick which one she likes best." Elena said, her tone matter of fact. It was amazing to Damon that she could go from practically tripping over her words when it came to something personal to assured and business like. This was more like the Elena he knew from class.

"Ok, do you have a list of the stores?" Damon asked.

"Yes, I was thinking we could split it up since there are only four stores."

"Actually, do you mind if we go together? I can drive if that's an issue." Damon said, running a hand through his dark hair. He didn't want to be completely responsible for anything because knowing him, he'd forget something.

"That's fine." Elena agreed, albeit sounding a little unsure.

"Great. What day did you want to go?" Damon asked, relieved she had gone along with it.

"Saturday is fine." Elena shrugged, twirling a little silver ring on her pinky finger.

"Works for me. I'd actually rather get the poster thing out the way if you don't mind though. Friday I have a game and Sunday I have a lot of stuff to do with my family." Damon explained. His grandmother was coming into town for a visit, something he was considerably excited about.

"Did you want to start tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I was thinking that we can meet up at my house or yours after school and try to come up with something." Damon suggested.

"I guess we can work on it at my house. My brother likes art and my parents bought him a lot of graphic design programs that we can use." Elena said after taking a moment to think.

"That should be-" Damon trailed off at the sound of his name being called from the hallway.

"Damon, I've been waiting _forever_" Ariana said dramatically, entering the room in a whirlwind. Her long bronze colored hair was loose and free in wild curls, her signature style, and she had a grin on her face to show that she wasn't really as impatient as her words suggested. She gave him a brief hug which he returned with one arm before she pulled away.

"You have not." Damon rolled his eyes playfully.

He loved this girl. He had been five when Ariana was born and he still remembered the day his mother placed her in his arms saying "Look Damon, this is your sister Ariana." She had been a tiny baby, so light that he was scared he would break her. Ariana had blinked up at him sleepily, letting out a cute little yawn and he'd been captured by the wonder of Ariana ever since. Now, at twelve, she was still pretty small for her age but she more than made up for it in personality. Ariana had turned her attention to Elena at this point so she completely ignored him.

"Hey Elena, guess what?" Ariana was practically bouncing on her toes, her blue eyes that were a perfect mirror of his own bright and eager.

"Did you get approval for your top secret recital piece?" Elena asked with a little smile.

Damon was shocked to see the easy conversation between Ariana and Elena. He'd never once heard his sister mention Elena but it was obvious that they were at the very least friendly towards each other. Then again, his sister tended to make friends wherever she went; Ariana was the type where the world wasn't filled with strangers, just friends she hadn't made yet. He made a mental note to ask Ari later exactly how she knew Elena.

"Not yet, so I still can't tell you what it is, but Ms. Lolly is caving. She just has to agree." Ariana said confidently, not the least bit worried.

"So what is it?"

Damon just watched as they talked, his presence in the room all but forgotten. Elena chatted easily with his sister in a way that she hadn't with him. Seeing Elena seem so unguarded and free, Damon couldn't help but think that there was definitely more to Elena Gilbert than met the eye.

* * *

AN: There we have it, another chapter. This one kind of had a bit of exposition but I wanted to show how they converse now and give a peek into their heads. I hope it wasn't too tedious. As always, can't wait to hear what you think and I'll try to update soon!


	4. Chapter 4

AN: I'm so sorry about the delay in posting this. Work has been crazy lately and then I had a family member in the hospital. It's just been a crazy week and I haven't been able to really sit down and write. I hope this chapter is okay! The reviews for the last chapter absolutely blew me away and I can't believe how close this story is to 50 reviews. Thanks for all your kind words and I really appreciate it.

* * *

"_We're all simply doing the best that we can  
And we have a choice to live or truly be alive_

_Child it's time to break the shell_  
_Life's gonna hurt but it's meant to be felt_  
_You cannot touch the sky from inside yourself_  
_You cannot fly until you break the shell"_

_Break the Shell- India Arie_

* * *

Damon Salvatore was coming to her house today and Elena still hadn't told her mother yet. She had meant to mention it at dinner last night but Jeremy had brought home a letter from his math teacher saying that Miranda needed to come in for a parent teacher conference and ruined the mood. Miranda was angry with him, Jeremy was apathetic, and Elena realized that wasn't the time to bring it up.

It wasn't that she thought her mother would be mad or anything. She just knew that her mother would get overly excited and Elena was not looking forward to this conversation. Damon was the first boy she had ever invited over and Miranda would act like maybe all hope wasn't lost for her recluse of a daughter.

Elena had resolved to tell her at breakfast and Jeremy had already cleared his own plate and was eying the waffle on her own while her mom was finishing up her coffee. Elena wordlessly pushed her plate towards her brother and he eagerly transferred her castoffs to his own plate.

"Is everything okay, Elena?" Miranda asked, looking at her with concern. Her mother's homemade waffles were her favorite and she usually easily finished it all. Today, she'd made it through less than half and Miranda was looking at her as though she was contemplating pulling out the thermometer.

"Is it okay if I have someone over after school?" Elena blurted out, figuring it was now or never.

Just as she expected, her mother beamed brightly.

"Of course sweetheart! Oh, I'm so glad that you're making friends."

Jeremy rolled his eyes dramatically in Elena's direction so their mother couldn't see and she fought the urge to laugh.

"Damon's not a friend, we're just working on something for student council together." Elena quickly clarified.

Miranda however had zeroed in on the fat that the upcoming visitor was a boy and if possible, her smile grew. Elena realized that she'd just made it even worse for herself and winced.

Jeremy paused mid-chew as his sister's words sank in. "Damon as in Damon Salvatore from the football team?" He asked through a mouthful of waffle.

"Ew Jeremy." Elena complained. Jeremy merely swallowed it down with a gulp of milk, still looking at her expectantly.

Sensing that she would get more information from her son than her daughter, Miranda turned to grill Jeremy. "He's on the football team?" Miranda asked.

"Yeah, he's the quarterback. I didn't think he was on student council though." Jeremy said, eying Elena suspiciously.

"He just joined and we got paired together for getting things ready for the car wash."" Elena said, glaring at her brother, silently willing him to shut up.

As usual, Jeremy did the opposite of what she wanted.

"Isn't he dating Katherine? I wonder what she thinks about him coming over here." Jeremy said teasingly.

"On that note, I'm done with breakfast. Mom, please don't be embarrassing when he gets here. Jeremy, just don't be home at all." Elena sighed, standing up to clear her space at the table.

"Oh, I'll definitely be home. I wouldn't miss this for anything." Jeremy chuckled.

"Jeremy Gray, leave your sister alone." Miranda scolded.

"I didn't even do anything! It's not my fault she's being all sensitive. Besides, how can she tell me not to come home? I live here too you know." Jeremy argued.

Elena tuned them out as she rinsed her plate, idly wondering if it was too late to ask Damon if he wanted to meet at the library instead. They could probably find some program online that could work.

"Don't worry Elena, your brother won't bother you. He's going to help out at your dad's office after school. Apparently they need some help rearranging the file cabinets and it couldn't wait until your dad got home." Miranda said reassuringly, pulling Elena out of her thoughts.

"Is this punishment?" Jeremy asked in disgust.

"No, its not, but depending on exactly what your teacher has to say, there may very well be a punishment in your future." Miranda warned him, suddenly stern.

Elena decided to go before they started arguing again. She heard a honk outside and she dashed out the kitchen with a quick goodbye. She grabbed her backpack and headed out the front door to meet Bonnie. Bonnie had gotten her own car over the summer and most mornings, they rode to school together.

"Hey, ready to go?" Bonnie asked as Elena climbed in the car.

Elena just gave her a look filled with frustration.

"That bad huh?" Bonnie said with a light laugh.

"You have no idea." Elena replied, buckling her seatbelt.

Elena could only hope that this afternoon wouldn't be a complete disaster.

* * *

Elena entered the cafeteria, scanning the large room for Bonnie and spotted her in line to get lunch. In her haste to get out the door this morning, Elena hadn't grabbed her lunch and so it was hot lunch for her as well. She made her way over to Bonnie and joined the line. They talked about typical things like what happened in class their morning and what books they were reading. The line moved quickly and it wasn't long before Elena could see what was being offered.

"Looks like its meatloaf surprise today." Elena said with a sigh.

"Great," Bonnie groaned, just like Elena knew she would. Elena had always liked the predictability of her friendship with Bonnie. Bonnie had moved back to town in the middle of seventh grade. She'd been born in Mystic Falls but after her parents split up when she was six, she'd moved with her mom to North Carolina. She spent her summers and winter breaks with her dad though so she was no stranger to Mystic Falls. Bonnie's dad's house was down the street from Elena's and they'd played together whenever Bonnie was in town. She'd come back for good after her mom and new stepfather moved abroad for his new job. Bonnie could have gone but she'd said she wanted to stay with her father. Bonnie and Elena picked up right where they left off and had been inseparable ever since.

"I wish we could go off campus for lunch." Bonnie remarked as she reluctantly took a tray.

"I know." Elena agreed.

Traditionally, seniors were allowed to leave the school during lunch but last year, that privilege had been revoked after a few students were caught pretending to be seniors and sneaking off campus. It had been a disappointing change in plans and they still lamented the loss of that freedom. Elena looked down at her tray with disgust as the lunch lady gave her a slab of meat covered with an unappealing brownish gray gravy.

"I can't forget my lunch again tomorrow." Elena said, knowing that she'd end up picking over the meatloaf.

"By the way, what happened this morning? You seemed in a rush." Bonnie asked.

Elena started to tell her about her morning as they headed to their usual table, conveniently leaving out the fact that Damon was coming over. Bonnie wasn't much of a fan of the whole popular crowd and Elena could only imagine Bonnie's reaction. Bonnie was pretty amused by Jeremy, as usual. As an only child, Bonnie seemed fascinated by the spats she and her brother got into.

"Enough about that though. You said there was something you wanted to tell me?" Elena asked.

Bonnie looked around to make sure no one was listening and of course, there wasn't anyone paying attention. Still, Bonnie leaned forward a little and dropped her voice as she spoke.

"There's this boy in my Bio class named Micah that I really like Elena. He's not my lab partner but he's at the table right next to mine and we've been talking more and more." Bonnie said, tucking a stubborn lock of her curly dark hair from her face.

"That's great Bonnie." Elena said with a forced smile.

Sometimes she wished that she could be more open, that she could share more. Bonnie made it seem so easy but Elena had a hard time divulging her true feelings even to her best friend. Elena wondered if maybe there was something wrong with her because it shouldn't be this hard. Elena smiled and nodded as Bonnie went on about Micah. She was happy for Bonnie, she really was, and yet she felt this overwhelming wave of self-deprecation.

For so long, she'd built this wall around herself and she'd been fine with that. She had a best friend, she had a few people she could talk to, she had her books and her music. That had been enough. Now, she was starting to feel like maybe it wasn't. She couldn't rely on just Bonnie; it wasn't fair to either of them. The idea of opening up to people kind of freaked her out but she couldn't be like this forever.

"Earth to Elena." Bonnie said, waving a hand in front of Elena's face.

Elena smiled at her sheepishly, realizing that she had been caught in her own little world.

"Sorry Bon, I'm listening."

"No you're not." Bonnie said with a laugh.

"I'm sorry, it's just I was thinking about something." Elena said apologetically.

"What's on your mind?" Bonnie asked, her green eyes bright and curious.

Elena's eyes trailed over to where Damon was sitting with a group of the football players. He was laughing at something, his eyes crinkled at the corners and she felt her heart jump in her chest. For just one moment, she wished she had been the one to make him laugh like that. Elena shook her head with a wry smile.

"Bonnie, do you think I'm the type to take chances?" Elena asked suddenly.

Bonnie looked taken aback by the question momentarily.

"Do you want me to answer that honestly?"

"Of course." Elena said.

"Ok, don't get mad at me then." Bonnie said with a serious look.

"Just say what you're thinking Bonnie." Elena said with a hint of impatience from her curiosity.

"Well then, in all honesty, no I don't. Not when it comes to certain things anyway, like putting yourself out there with other people or doing things outside your comfort zone. I love you to death but I mean, besides me, you barely really talk to anybody." Bonnie admitted.

Elena processed this quietly, shredding the napkin in front of her as she thought. Her own best friend thought of her that way so she could only imagine what others thought. She wasn't mad or offended, something she quickly assured Bonnie of because she could tell that Bonnie was worried, but it did solidify for her that something had to change. She didn't know exactly what she needed to do or how to go about it but she was a smart girl; she could figure it out one step at a time.

* * *

"Mom, you're overdoing it." Elena groaned as she entered the kitchen.

The entire first floor smelled like a bakery. Her mother had made chocolate chip cookies, butterscotch blondies, and she was in the process of squeezing lemons for fresh lemonade as brownies baked in the oven.

"Oh stop it Elena; this isn't even all for us. You know that I'm helping with the bake sale for the Little League team." Miranda sighed.

"The bake sale isn't until tomorrow. You just decided to do all of this today?" Elena asked skeptically. Her mother was a great baker and she was constantly helping out with one event or another. However, Miranda almost always made her stuff the day of the event and Elena couldn't help but think it was too much of a coincidence that her mom had chosen to do this today when she knew that Damon was coming over.

"I'm not going to have time tomorrow. I have a luncheon to go to and- " Miranda paused and frowned slightly as she turned to face her daughter. "You know, I don't have to explain myself to you. Either eat what I've set aside for us or don't; it's your choice."

Elena opened her mouth to respond, feeling more than a little chastised, when the doorbell rang. Perfect timing because she wasn't sure that continuing that conversation would have been a good idea. She sent her mother a pleading look before going to the entryway. Full of nervous jitters, she peered through the window before opening the door. Damon was standing on her front porch wearing a simple black shirt and jeans yet he looked so good that it was almost painful.

"Hi Damon, come on in." Elena said shyly, opening the door wider.

Damon gave her a half smile as he said thanks before walking through the doorway. He looked around and Elena found herself doing the same, seeing her house through fresh eyes. She'd lived in this house all her life; in fact, according to her father she'd almost been born in it. Her mom made sure that the house was well maintained and even though she and Jeremy often grumbled at the mandatory Sunday cleaning jobs, Elena surveyed her house with pride in that moment. The wooden staircase gleamed and pictures lined the wall, showcasing pictures of her and Jeremy growing up.

"Hello, you must be Damon." Miranda said from behind her.

Elena saw Damon's eyes widen a bit and she turned to look at her mom who was conveniently holding a plate with cookies. She couldn't help but feel like he was shocked that her mom was so beautiful. Elena was used to it really but it did cause a slight twinge in her stomach.

Damon nodded affirmatively before saying "Thanks for having me over."

Now it was Elena's turn to be surprised. Who knew Damon was so polite?

"You're welcome any time, right sweetie?" Miranda said cheerfully with a meaningful look at Elena.

She could see the amusement flit across Damon's face and Elena's embarrassment skyrocketed. Her mom was being extremely obvious with her enthusiasm and she knew it wasn't just in her head by Damon's reaction. The only way it could be any worse was if Jeremy had actually been home. Determined to end this awkward moment, Elena took action.

"Mom, we're going to work on stuff in Dad's office. Please don't bother us and thanks for the cookies." Elena said in as controlled a voice she could manage as she took the tray from her mom.

Before her mother could respond, Elena motioned for Damon to follow her. Bemused, Damon did as she requested. She led the way to her father's office and entered the small room connected to the living room. He'd built it years ago so he could have a place to work without getting interrupted by the constant noise from either Elena's playing or Jeremy's video games. These days he didn't use it much and Elena and Jeremy had free reign of it. Jeremy had loaded all his art programs on the Mac in there, insisting the graphics were better, which was good because there was no way that Jeremy would have handed her laptop over to her. After a moment's hesitation, she left the door partially open and sat down in front of the computer.

"You can sit there if you want." Elena said to Damon, gesturing towards the spare chair.

Damon pulled the chair over so they were sitting next to each other and Elena realized this was officially the closest she'd ever been to Damon. She could smell his cologne mixed with hint of lemon and a scent that was just _Damon, _feel the heat of his arm as he adjusted himself so he could see the screen clearly. Now that they were alone, Damon was noticeably more subdued than he'd been the day before and without his natural charm, Elena wasn't quite sure what to do. Neither of them spoke as they waited for the program to load when Elena realized this was exactly what she'd been talking about with Bonnie earlier. Baby steps, right? She could do this.

"Is everything okay?" Elena asked hesitantly.

Damon looked at her as though she'd sprouted a second head and Elena felt herself turn red as humiliation flooded her body.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to-" Elena quickly backpedaled, averting her eyes back to the computer.

"No, it's fine. I just have a lot on my mind today." Damon said with a clearly forced smile.

Elena nodded, still too mortified to speak. They fell back into silence before Damon apparently couldn't take it anymore, uncomfortable with the quiet.

"Ariana really likes you by the way. She said that you're her favorite of the older students." Damon said out of the blue.

"She's sweet." Elena said with an instinctive, genuine smile.

"Ariana is a lot of things but sweet isn't one of them. She knows what she wants and she'll do whatever it takes to get her way." Damon said, chuckling.

Elena couldn't help but laugh at the expression on Damon's face.

"I'm being serious. She can be ridiculously stubborn when it comes to getting what she wants." Damon said, facing her. "When she was seven, Ariana decided that she just needed a dog. My dad absolutely refused; he said it would be too much work and dogs were too messy. Ariana pestered him every day about it and still he said no. One day, we went to that carnival that comes every year over in Falls Creek. You know which one I'm talking about?"

"I've never been." Elena shook her head.

"Really? We went every year when we were younger." Damon said. "Well, at the carnival, Ariana played one of those stupid games and won a goldfish. She treated that fish exactly like it was a dog. She took it on walks, talked to it, I even caught her trying to pet it one day."

Elena giggled in amusement at the image of Ariana trying to pet a goldfish and Damon shot her a grin.

"Harry the fish lasted about two weeks and when Ariana went to feed him, he was belly up. Ari was devastated; she cried and cried. She had a funeral for it and everything. The very next day my dad came home with a dog for Ariana." Damon said, trailing off quietly as he got lost in his thoughts.

"I knew he'd give in; he always does when it comes to Ari. It's only with me that nothing's ever good enough." Damon said almost sullenly, his good humor fading.

"I know what you mean." Elena murmured, the words escaping before she even realized it.

Damon looked at her with more than a bit of skepticism.

"As I'm sure you've noticed, my mom and I are…different. I think she's disappointed that I'm not more like her." Elena explained, digging her nails into her palms as she fought her instinct to shut down.

"You know, I think you look like your mom." Damon commented.

"Really?" Elena asked, shocked. She'd heard that before from some of her mom's friends but it felt different coming from Damon.

"Definitely. You have the same eyes." Damon said with a lopsided little smile that made butterflies flutter in her belly.

"Thanks." Elena said, quiet but pleased.

From there they just talked about anything and everything, the poster all but forgotten. He was surprisingly easy to talk to. He told her about his rocky relationship with his dad and all the pressure he was under with football and she talked about how she felt like she never quite fit in anywhere and that music was the way she'd learned to express herself. She'd never talked to anyone like this, not even Bonnie really, but there was just something about him that she couldn't help but trust. They completely lost track of time so a knock on the office door shocked both of them. Elena looked over and saw her mom poke her head through almost apologetically. To be honest, she'd all but forgotten her mom was home and she hoped that she hadn't been eavesdropping.

"Elena, I'm going to pick up Jeremy. Dinner's almost ready but can you keep an eye on the chicken for me?" Miranda said.

Damon noticed what time it was and turned to Elena. "I'd better go. I have to get home." Damon said with a hint of reluctance.

"I guess it has been awhile." Elena said, standing as she noted with surprise that she and Damon had been there for almost two hours.

"And we still didn't get very far on the poster." Damon remarked wryly.

Elena led him to the door, feeling slightly awkward at the loss of their little bubble of the office. She could hear her mother bustling around the kitchen so she knew that she hadn't left just yet and she struggled with what to do. She'd never been in this situation before and she wasn't exactly the best with social skills anyway.

"Hey, you know, we have a game tomorrow. You should come." Damon said, looking over at her when they reached the door.

"I don't know…" Elena trailed off.

"Just think about it." Damon shrugged, his eyes amused. His phone beeped loudly and he looked down at the screen with a slight frown. "I've got to go but I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Elena."

"Bye Damon." Elena said with a wave, watching Damon head to his car.

With that, Damon was gone with Miranda not far behind him out the door and Elena could physically feel the difference in the house. It was so quiet that her thoughts seemed louder than ever. She'd actually had a real conversation with Damon. She had no idea what sort of Twilight Zone she'd entered but she didn't want it to end. She allowed herself one brief moment to lean against the door as she contemplated the idea of Damon actually being her friend. Just one week ago it was something she could only dream about but today, it seemed like it was an actual possibility and she had no idea what to do with that information.

* * *

AN: Hope this was worth the wait! We're starting to turn a corner with these two but they still have a lot to get through. Let me know what you all think :)


End file.
